The 42nd Positano Leonide Massine dancing Premia is held today, 6 September, on the beach in beautiful Positano, on the Amalfi Coast in Italy. The world’s premier dancers gather for the prestigious awards gala in honour of professional dancers. This year the winners include:
- Lifetime achievement award 2014 – Mats Ek and Ana Laguna
- Choreographer of the year Award – Christopher Wheeldon (The Royal Ballet, London and New York City Ballet)
- Prix Benois-Massine Moscow-Positano – Mariko Kida (Royal Swedish Ballet)
- Dancer of the year Award on the international scene – Olga Smirnova (Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow)
- Dancer of the year on the international scene – Steven McRae (The Royal Ballet, London)
- Emerging on the international stage Dancer – Oksana Skorik (Mariinsky-Kirov, Saint Petersburg)
- Emerging on the international stage Dancer – Xander Parish (St. Petersburg Mariinsky Kirov)
- Dancer of the year on the contemporary scene – PeiJu Chien Pott (Martha Graham Dance Company, New York)
- Dancer of the year on the contemporary scene – Alvaro Dule (Random Dance, London)
- Classical Dancer of the year on the Italian scene – Carlo Lanno (formerly Milan’s La Scala, the San Francisco Ballet today)
- Contemporary Dancer of the year on the Italian scene – Giuseppe Comuniello (Virgilio Sieni Danza)
- Prix Massine Legacy– Elizabeth Souritz (Biography di Léonide Massine)
- Premio all’Alta formazione di danza “Luca Vespoli” – Larissa Anisimova (Presidente Fondazione Accademia nazionale della danza, Roma)
Positano Leonide Massine Premia dance is organized by the artistic director Daniel Cipriani.
As the sun begins to set over the Amalfi Coast, turning the hilltop villas of Positano soft warm reds and yellows, the stage is being set up for tonight’s performance. The background is perfectly dazzling for tonight’s prima ballerinas, contemporary dancers and choreographers. We will write more after the spectacular closes late this evening.
Wish you were here xx